Fix: The Sims 4 Stuttering, Lags, or Freezing constantly

Maxis and Electronic Arts have done a great job by releasing The Sims 4 back in 2014 which is a character-customized life simulator video game. It has an overwhelming number of active players across the globe and is available on Windows, PS4, Xbox One, and Macintosh platforms. It’s a sequel to The Sims 3 and getting bigger. But somehow a lot of players are reporting about The Sims 4 Stuttering, Lags, or Freezing issues constantly during the gameplay.

It’s appearing to the players mostly on the Windows platform no matter whether they’re using Steam or EA (Origin) app. So, stuttering or lagging issues becomes quite common among PC gamers even for other titles due for several possible reasons. Most PC games do come with multiple errors or bugs which typically happen due to outdated graphics drivers, outdated game versions, issues with the game files, screen mode issues, and more.

1. Update Graphics Drivers

You should try updating the graphics driver on your PC so that you won’t face any bugs or stability issues. To do so:

Right-click on the Start Menu to open up the Quick Access Menu.
Click on Device Manager from the list.
Now, double-click on the Display adapters category to expand the list.
Then right-click on the dedicated graphics card name.
Select Update driver > Choose Search automatically for drivers.
If there is an update available, it’ll automatically download and install the latest version.
Once done, make sure to reboot your computer to change the effects.

For Steam:

Launch Steam > Click on Library.
Right-click on The Sims 4 from the list of installed games.
Now, click on Properties > Go to Local Files.
Click on Verify Integrity of Game Files.
You’ll have to wait for the process until it gets completed.
Once done, just restart your computer.

For Origin:

Launch the Origin client on your computer.
Go to Library > Go to The Sims 4 and select it.
Click on the gear icon to open the Settings menu.
Now, click on Repair and wait for the process to complete.
Once done, close the Origin client and relaunch it.

4. Update The Sims 4

If you haven’t updated your The Sims 4 game for a while then you should follow the steps below to cross-check whether the game version is updated or not.

For Steam:

Open the Steam client > Go to Library > Click on The Sims 4 from the left pane.
It’ll automatically search for the available update. If there is an update available, make sure to click on Update.
It may take some time to install the update > Once done, make sure to close the Steam client.
Finally, reboot your PC to apply changes, and then try launching the game again.

For Origin:

Launch the Origin client on your PC > Go to My Game Library.
Now, right-click on The Sims 4 > Select Update game.
Make sure to wait for the game update to be installed on your PC.
Once done, reboot the PC to apply changes, and launch the game.

For EA Desktop App:

Open the EA Desktop App on your PC > Click on the three dots icon menu at the top left corner.
Select Application settings > Click on Download.
Now, make sure to turn on Game updates and Enable background services to automatically keep your installed games up-to-date.

5. Set High Priority in Task Manager

Make your game priority in the higher segment via the Task Manager to tell your Windows system to run the game properly. To do this:

Right-click on the Start Menu > Select Task Manager.
Click on the Processes tab > Right-click on The Sims 4 game task.
Select Set Priority to High.
Close Task Manager > Run The Sims 4 game to check for the issue.

6. Try Lowering Graphics Settings

Sometimes issues with the in-game graphics settings may also cause multiple conflicts which can eventually occur in some stutters or lags. You should also try reducing the frame drops rate (set it around 60FPS), the field of view, the field of depth, shadow effects, and more from the in-game menu. It’s also worth mentioning that somehow your lower PC configuration can trigger multiple visual issues which may eventually bring lags or stutters.

7. Change GPU Settings

Make sure to change the graphics card settings on the PC by following the steps below to check if the problem has been fixed or not.

For Nvidia:

Open up Nvidia’s Control Panel > Right-click on the desktop screen.
Click on Nvidia Control Panel > Click on Manage 3D Settings.
Select Program Settings > Find ‘The Sims 4’ and manually add the game if it’s not in the list:
- Monitor Tech: G-Sync (If available)
- Maximum Pre-rendered frames: 2
- Threaded optimization: On
- Power Management: Prefer Maximum Performance
- Texture Filtering – Quality: Performance

For AMD:

Monitor Tech: G-Sync (If available)
Maximum Pre-rendered frames: 2
Threaded optimization: On
Power Management: Prefer Maximum Performance
Texture Filtering – Quality: Performance

8. Disable Fullscreen Optimizations

Full-screen optimization and DPI settings are the default ones on Windows. You should try disabling it by following the steps below:

Locate The Sims 4 game directory where it has been installed.
Find and right-click on TheSims4.exe application file.
Select Properties > Click on the Compatibility tab.
Checkmark the ‘Disable Full-Screen Optimizations’ box.
Now, click on the ‘Change high DPI settings’ button.
Checkmark the ‘Override high DPI scaling behavior’ > Select ‘Application’ from the drop-down menu.
Click on Apply and then OK to save changes.
Once done, you can try checking out The Sims 4 Stuttering, Lags, or Freezing issue again.

That’s it, guys. We assume this guide was helpful to you. For further queries, you can comment below.

Fix: The Sims 4 Stuttering, Lags, or Freezing constantly